Nothing is more refreshing in hot weather than a dessert straight from the freezer. Whether it’s just a bowl of ice cream or a more elegant frozen dessert, that first bite just seems to melt away the summertime blues.

If you are ready to make ice cream and want something just a little different, try adding fresh ginger. This is a wonderful taste that you will remember long after the ice cream is gone.

I got my first taste of this unusual ice cream when I was working in Manhattan for Barbara Kafka, cookbook author and restaurant consultant.

I must admit that I had my doubts about this flavor when Barbara asked me to make the ginger custard that she uses in her ice cream. I was surprised when I tasted it. It is really good.

The following recipe for Ginger Ice Cream is from Kafka’s cookbook “Food for Friends.”

One of my favorite freezer desserts is peanut butter pie. This is a great pie no matter what kind of crust you use, but my choice is a chocolate wafer crust. Chocolate and peanut butter is hard to beat when it comes to flavor blends.

You might also like the following frozen dessert make with crushed pineapple and blueberry pie filling.

Email Prudence Hilburn at prudencehilburn463@att.net.

Barbara Kafka's Ginger Ice Cream

1¾ cups heavy cream (whipping cream)
1½ cups milk
½ cup thinly sliced fresh, unpeeled ginger
1 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks

Put the heavy cream, milk and ginger in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 40 minutes. Add the sugar, stir, and let the mixture cook until the ginger is transparent, about 20 minutes longer. Put the mixture through a strainer, pressing on the ginger to release all the liquid. Discard the ginger.

Rinse out the pan and put the strained mixture into it. Off the heat, slowly whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Put the pan on low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a spoon, scraping the bottom and edges of the pan, until the mixture thickens enough to coat a spoon.

Remove the pan from the heat and pass the mixture through a very fine sieve into a metal bowl. Set the bowl in a larger bowl half-filled with ice. Stir from time to time as the mixture cools. When it is thoroughly cooled, freeze it in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Makes about 1 quart.

Peanut Butter Pie

4 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
½ cup peanut butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
8 ounces Cool Whip, divided
Chocolate wafer crust

Combine cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar and half of the Cool Whip. Beat until smooth. Pour into piecrust. Put remaining Cool Whip on top. Freeze.

Frozen Hawaiian Blueberry Pie

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened, condensed milk
1 to 3 cups fresh lemon juice
1 can (approx. 20 ounces or 2 cups) blueberry pie filling
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 (8 ounce) container non-dairy whipped dessert topping
2 graham cracker pie shells

In a large bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk and the lemon juice. Stir until thickened. Add the blueberry pie filling and mix well. Add the gelatin to the undrained crushed pineapple. Add the pineapple mixture to the blueberry mixture. Fold in the dessert topping. Spoon into the pie shells and freeze. Garnish with additional whipped topping.